On January 13, 2026, the Supreme Court began hearings on whether state laws prohibiting transgender girls and women from participating in female sports violate the Constitution. This examination includes cases from two transgender students, Becky Pepper-Jackson from West Virginia and Lindsay Hecox from Idaho, both of whom successfully challenged state bans in lower courts, allowing them to continue competing.

Becky Pepper-Jackson, a 15-year-old high school athlete undergoing hormone treatment, argues that the West Virginia law would prevent her from competing as her true self, emphasizing her desire for equal opportunities. Lindsay Hecox, a 25-year-old college student who has also received hormone treatments, is no longer competing in the sports covered by the ban and wishes to withdraw from the case due to public scrutiny.

The Supreme Court is addressing two key legal questions: whether these state laws violate the 14th Amendment's equal protection clause and whether they contravene Title IX, which prohibits sex discrimination in education. The outcome could set a precedent affecting not only the 25 other states with similar bans but also broader policies impacting transgender individuals, including access to facilities.

Proponents of the bans argue that they establish necessary sex-based classifications to protect women's sports, citing biological differences as justification. In contrast, Pepper-Jackson's legal team contends that her early transition means she does not possess any physical advantages over her peers.

The court's conservative majority has previously ruled against transgender rights, including upholding a Tennessee law that restricts gender transition care for minors and allowing the Trump administration to implement policies limiting transgender individuals' military service and gender designations on passports. The implications of the current case are significant, as they may influence the interpretation of Title IX in relation to gender identity.

Various sports organizations, including the National Collegiate Athletic Association and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee, have enacted restrictions on transgender athletes. The West Virginia law, enacted in 2021, defines gender based solely on reproductive biology at birth, while Idaho's law, passed in 2020, states that female-designated sports should not include students assigned male at birth. The court's deliberations reflect a complex legal landscape surrounding the rights of transgender individuals in educational sports contexts.